National Popcorn Day

Next Sunday, 19 January 2025

With the delicious scent of just-popped kernels filling the air, we happily celebrate National Popcorn Day on January 19th every year.

This fun event honors popcorn, one of the most popular snacks in the world. Popcorn has a way of bringing flavor to all kinds of occasions, from festive get-togethers to classic movie evenings.

Come enjoy the crunchy, buttery goodness with us as we celebrate this day in honor of popcorn, a straightforward yet classic snack that has become a global sensation and a source of uncontrollable joy.

An image of popcorns in a jute bowl

Corn is a common household ingredient but not all of it pops. The variety of corns that pop is known as Zea mays everta. This particular type of corn has small ears and the kernels burst with exposure to dry heat.mays everta. This particular type of corn has small ears and the kernels burst with exposure to dry heat.

This does not need to be said but popcorns are available in a ton of different flavors be it salted, buttered cheese or caramel, and more. 

The History Of Popcorns and National Popcorn Day

Herbert Dick and Earle Smith discovered tiny heads of this variant in 1948 while exploring the Bat Cave Of West Central New Mexico.

National Popcorn Day became a thing somewhere around 2014 and Americans have been celebrating it ever since. However, the source who decided to celebrate popcorn annually is still unknown. 

There are a lot of theories regarding the same. According to some people, it began because of the Superbowl. This is because popcorn is a popular snack to enjoy among Super Bowl spectators. 

However, National Popcorn Day has been there throughout American history and has been celebrated on various days. Some advertisements in the 1970s marked October 24th as National Popcorn Day, in the 1980's it was stated on January 31st, and so on.

But, from January 19, 1989, National Popcorn Day, accidentally or not, always falls on a Superbowl day and a popular newspaper finally stated the above date to be National Popcorn Day. That's how January 19th was finalized.

The best way to celebrate this day is to enjoy a bowl of popcorn with family and friends while watching your favorite movies or shows.

Do you know?

  • People wore popcorn as headdresses during the 16th century in Aztec ceremonies to honor Tlaloc, the god of maize and fertility.
  • The Americans discovered popcorn in the 1800s.
  • A machine for popping corn was developed by Charles Cretor.
  • Popcorn kernels can go as high up as 2-3ft in the air.
  • The popcorn kernels that don't pop are called old maids. 

Image of old maids or unpoped popcorns

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